


1955

by Anakin133



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: 1950s, 1955, 1955 Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, M/M, Timeline Based Homophobia, Timeline Based Racial Prejudice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-11-01 08:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17864189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anakin133/pseuds/Anakin133
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Cyrus Goodman is bullied and looked down upon for having African-American and Asian friends. It doesn't help that him and his family are Jewish.Fifteen-year-old TJ Kippen is a tall, popular, athletic boy who is longing for friends who actually care about him, not just his feared attitude and how not to get caught in it.When the two boys unexpectedly get placed in a school project together, will TJ look beyond the surface of Cyrus and his ethnicity?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based off of the Tyrus fiction "1986" by nhlboy97 [the alternate timeline idea, not the plot or story line].

Shadyside is the time of town you expect to see in the mid-fifties. Sunny skies, carefully groomed lawns with picket fences, children playing about while adults gossip happily on their porches, a cheerful ambiance with upbeat music quietly filling the streets. It was a dream, a perfect little town. No criminal violence, no deviance, just a joyful bubble of a community.

"Did you hear about that new movie in the cinema? It was a real neat science-fiction picture, if you dig." The brown haired boy looked between his friends, arm in arm with the two girls.

"Oh, yeah! I heard about that. Did you see it, Buffy?" The one girl with black, bob-cut hair bouncing as she walked.

"Yeah, but I dig those action-adventure pictures more." The other, Buffy, said, her curly black hair held up in a piggy-tail.

"We should go see one!" The boy quipped as they stepped into Jefferson High School. His smiley demeanor was soon reversed when a tall boy with slicked-back hair and was sporting a leather jacket and jeans walked up in front of them, looking right at the shorter brown-haired boy.

"Why don't you just see yourselves out of here instead?" He challenged, a smirk obvious on his face.

"This is a public school, a requireme-"

"Cyrus, don't." Buffy warned, releasing her arm from his and instead placing her hand on his shoulder.

The dark-haired boy's smirk grew slightly, and the girls stepped back subconsciously behind Cyrus. The boy shoved him subtly, laughing as he stumbled back.

"Back off, Kevin." The boy looked up slowly from Cyrus, focusing on something behind him. His eyes widened considerably and betrayed his obvious fear. Cyrus looked confused, along with Buffy and the other girl. He slowly turned around to be face-to-face, about three inches between their noses, with TJ Kippen, the most miserable, feared boy in the school.

Buffy noticed the dark-haired boy nod slowly, backing up and running off after a few tense seconds. TJ moved his withering stare once he was sure the boy was gone, finally resting it blankly on Cyrus' surprised yet appreciative gaze. He was able to see the boy up close for once, his chocolate brown eyes mesmerizing and comforting.

"T-thank you." Guilt twinged in his stomach as he could hear the hesitance and anxiety in Cyrus' voice. Yet, he still gave TJ a glowing smile that made his heart melt. His mind scrambled for some unknown reason, leaving TJ to simply nod in response and slowly back away.

"Well that was weird..." Buffy stated, causing Cyrus to turn back to look at the girls.

~

"All right class! That's it for today. But before you go..." The art teacher paused to collect a paper. Her cheery voice and suspicious wording made Cyrus worried. "You're all going to pair up to complete a painting or drawing, whichever you and your partner choose, that reflects something you both care about. Since this is to help you all get to understand and relate to one another, the guidelines on what to illustrate are open-ended. The due date is Monday, two weeks from now. " TJ slouched back in his seat; he hated partner-projects.

"I'll assign each of you with a random student, to help spread you out." As she called out names, Cyrus fiddled nervously with his hands. The last time he did a project with someone, he literally did the project - all of it. He met with his partner once the whole time. "Cyrus Goodman and TJ Kippen." Both boys' heads shot up, ping-ponging between their teacher and each other.

Well, maybe TJ didn't hate partner-projects as much as he thought...


	2. Chapter 2

"TJ Kippen?!" Both girls yelled, obviously unhappy by the choice.

"Yup; I'm supposed to meet him at The Spoon after school." Cyrus didn't really care that much, he just assumed TJ would meet today, hand over the assignment to do himself, and never see him again until class in two weeks. He didn't exactly have the most dominant personality.

"Does he know about us?" The unfortunate question was sadly brought up far too often for Cyrus' liking. It was a small town, and there weren't enough kids or teachers to spend money for a segregated school. Even people that would glance in the hallways with a hint of annoyance in their eyes, or the people that would subconsciously move back slightly if one of the three got too close caused the crew to feel uneasy.

"He did kinda see us this morning when Kevin was..." The girl flung her hands wildly to express her meaning before continuing. "And he defended Cyrus. So, I'm thinking yeah."

Buffy rolled her eyes fondly. "I wouldn't have ever guessed, Andi." Andi shot a smile at her best friend and stood up as the bell rung.

"Ugh, guess what I have next?" Cyrus groaned as he stood from the lunch table's bench. "Physical Education!" The girls laughed as he stormed off, staying in pace a little behind him.

 

~

 

TJ nervously picked at his collared, button-down shirt at The Spoon, trying and failing to figure out some of his math homework. He snapped his head up as the diner's bell rang, signaling the door opening. The big-eyed, brown-haired boy trudged through the classic diner. He spotted TJ and gave a tired smile as he sank into the red and white booth across from TJ.

"I'm still exhausted from PE and that was a few hours go." TJ smiled at his remark and closed his math book, focusing his attention to Cyrus. A perky, blonde waitress skipped over to their table, grinning widely at TJ.

"Hi! Can I get you something?" Cyrus watched, amused, with eyebrows raised as the girl took TJ's order and gushed about how everything he got just happened to be her favorite thing to order. The athletic boy simply ignored her politely, or he was really oblivious.

As the chipper waitress bounced off, Cyrus redirected his attention to TJ who was already looking at him. He prepared himself for rude comments or a demanding attitude as the blonde boy opened his mouth to speak.

"There's this new indoor ice skating rink over in the park opening today. Want to check it out?" Okay, Cyrus didn't see that coming, especially as the first words the boy has ever said to him. TJ seemed suddenly self-aware as Cyrus made his shock obvious on his face. "If not, that's fine too. I just figured since we need to get to know one another for the project..." He let his sentence trail off as he stared intently at a pop-art sign in the window up front of the diner.

"Uh, yeah. S-sure, that'd be wicked." Cyrus mentally face-palmed himself at his stuttering. 'Just because no one outside of your tiny circle of friends has ever cared enough to say more than some rude comment about being Jewish doesn't mean you have to make it that obvious!' He thought, desperately trying to distract himself from the faint fluttering in his stomach as TJ genuinely beamed at him for his agreement. "I have to warn you though, I have terrible balance, two left feet, and will probably break some bone by the end of the day."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. If you expect to fail miserably you probably will. Stay positive!" Cyrus blushed and awkwardly took a sip of his milkshake.

 

~

 

"Yep, now I'm definitely having doubts."

"If you're not comfortable, we ca-" TJ grabbed his arm and pulled the other boy to stop and face him, showing he was sincere about not wanting to pressure him.

"No, no! I want to learn, I just..." TJ nodded slowly in understanding and led him over to the desk, telling the employee his shoe size. He turned to look at Cyrus, his hand still softly gripping his forearm.

"I'll teach you, if you want." His smile was faint and cautious, but genuine. Cyrus almost got lost in the thought that TJ Kippen was actually smiling for once - let alone because of him. Almost.

"Okay." He breathed, just now realizing exactly how close they were until he finally snapped out of his confusing thoughts and told the employee his shoe size. The teenager, probably only a year or so older than the two boys, handed them their skates and smiled politely as they made for an empty bench.

TJ slipped his ice skates on with ease, with Cyrus fumbling just a moment longer to tie them correctly. He didn't want to add any more risks to his dangerous attempt to ice skate. "Ready?" The brown-haired boy nodded, standing up clumsily. He held onto the row of chairs awkwardly, mumbling an apology as his tripped over someone's bag and fell right into TJ's arms as the other boy had noticed beforehand and quickly reached out to help Cyrus avoid his own peril just in time. Once stable, TJ earned a playful smack on the arm for laughing fondly at the boy.

His smile widened, then he held his elbow out to Cyrus. "Here, let me help you before you slice somebody with your flailing skates." His voice was tinted with sincerity as well as a little teasing, earning another smack on the arm as Cyrus used his other arm to hook it around TJ's, laughing slightly. They managed to keep steady until they reached the edge of the ice.

TJ, seeming to sense Cyrus' hesitation, unraveled his arm and stepped onto the ice smoothly. He turned to face Cyrus, holding out his arms. "Come on, I've got you." Cyrus' heart began to beat rapidly from fear of the ice - or so he told himself. Grabbing onto to TJ's shoulders, he slowly watched his feet carefully land on the ice, one by one, then looked up at TJ who was focused on Cyrus' skates. When their eyes finally met, Cyrus smiled and nodded, letting him know he was ready.

Slowly TJ pulled him out further on the ice, his hands on the boys waist and a blush creeping up onto his nose and cheeks - from the cold, of course. After about an hour or two of silent and clumsy skating, Cyrus finally got a hold of it and was skating himself, only one hand on TJ's shoulder now for assurance, who was next to him instead of in front.

After an hour or so of small talk, TJ finally dropped the question the other hoped to avoid, leaving Cyrus unsure of himself again. Just when he was getting comfortable, for once. "So, you're Jewish, right?" The chocolate-eyed boy practically fell on his face in shock and nerves. He regained his rhythm and looked at TJ; he looked sincere and not as though he was judging him, although Cyrus' mind filled with doubt.

"Um... Yeah." If TJ noticed his hesitance, he ignored it completely.

"That's really neat! My dad's sister converted to become Jewish when she married my uncle. I kinda know a few things, but I forget most of it since I haven't seen her in seven years."

"Seven years?"

"Yeah, uh, my family wasn't exactly the most supportive of it. They practically disowned her." Cyrus could tell from is expression and voice he wasn't comfortable about the topic. Maybe even a twinge of sadness showed itself, but the brown-haired boy wasn't about to hope for it.

"I'm sorry." Cyrus paused, took a deep breath, and held it. "Do you agree with them?"

The other boy just turned and looked at him in confusion. "Agree with what?"

"Their decision, you know, to shun her for it?" TJ's eyes widened in realization, and he quickly turned back to look at the shimmering ice ahead of him, pink tinting his cheeks.

"No, never. She's my favorite aunt, not because of how others view her choices, but who she is as a person. I'm not going to judge her for that." A warm, hopeful fluttering filled Cyrus' stomach as he too blushed, looking down at the rhythmic pattern to his feet's movements.

"Good." He spoke so softly and quietly, TJ thought he just imagined the boy saying anything.

~

 

"I. Am. Exhausted." Cyrus fell into TJ's couch, as he had insisted the boy come to his house for hot chocolate to warm the frozen boy up. He chuckled lightly as he grabbed the two mugs, carefully handing one to the chocolate-eyed boy as he slid himself next to him. TJ shivered when his shoulder and leg pressed up against Cyrus'. 'Must've been colder than I thought.' He realized, sipping the hot chocolate that was heating up his hand.

"I bet. It seemed shorter than five hours. I had no idea."

"Neither did I. I'm not used to that much exercise!" TJ gave a fond laugh, in turn making Cyrus look at him and smile softly. The athlete mirrored him, their faces only a few inches apart. His stomach fluttered again, but he pushed away the nagging feeling as he stared into the chocolate-like galaxies hosted by the boy's eyes. That's when Cyrus really surprised him.

"Tomorrow night is The Spoon's monthly dance contest. You want to go with me and my friends? You could even enter the competition, if you wanted!" TJ's thoughts uncharacteristically faltered for a moment due to actually feeling Cyrus' breathing on his face when he spoke. Not that he'd ever admit that, though.

"Honestly, I'd love to. I even have the flyer in my room because I keep trying to decide if I want to go. It's just..." He looked down at his hands, flushed slightly.

"Just what?" Cyrus' voice was smooth and soft, letting TJ look back up at him.

"I can't dance. Like, at all." The other boy's face lit up immediately.

"I'll teach you! After school, before the contest starts." TJ attempted - and failed - to hold back a smile.

"I thought you said you had two left feet."

"I do, but I've learned to overcome it recently by some dance classes I took." Both boys were excited, but they tried to hide it from each other.

"Okay, let's do it, then." He beamed at Cyrus, again realizing how close they were. Two more inches and they'd be- 'No,' TJ scolded himself. 'Why would I even think that?' He quickly turned away and hid his pink cheeks by taking a swig of hot chocolate.

Somehow the two boys ended up falling asleep on each other while listening to the radio, the exertion of ice skating getting to the both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Cy, how are yo-"

"What are you wearing?" Buffy interrupted, sending Andi a brief, apologetic glance before refocusing on Cyrus. His eyes widened considerably before he looked down at himself.

"Uh, it's... Borrowed! I borrowed it." He met Buffy's gaze again as she narrowed her eyes. He wasn't sure how they'd react to him hanging out and falling asleep overnight with TJ Kippen and at his house.

"From who, Cyrus?" He looked to his feet and mumbled inaudibly. "What?"

"TJ." It was slightly more understandable but still a whisper.

"TJ?! How did you possibly manage to borrow one of TJ Kippen's leather jackets and T-shirts?" Andi silently ping-ponged between Cyrus, who was looking at anything but the girl, and Buffy, who was intently staring at him with her hands on her hips.

"We fell asleep on his couch and I didn't have extra clothes." Buffy choked on air.

"His couch? You can't tell me this project was so boring you fell asleep at five through the entire night, Cy." However, as she opened her mouth to say more, the bell rang. She sighed dramatically. "We'll talk about this later." That certainly was not something the Jewish boy was looking forward to.

 

~

 

TJ was just unlocking his locker when he heard a thump and squeaking shoes around the corner. As curiosity got the best of him, he cautiously strolled toward the sound. And was he glad he did? Absolutely.

"Come on, get off of me!" Cyrus whimpered, slammed against the lockers.

"Why? You think Captain Kippen is gonna save you this time? 'Cause he's not!" The taller figure, Kevin, pushed his raised arm into Cyrus's neck harder, bring his free hand into a clenched fist above his head. He landed a weak yet painful punch onto Cyrus' face, leaving the brown-haired boy's eyes fill up with tears, both from fear and pain. It took everything TJ had not to pounce on Kevin then and there, but he knew that wouldn't do anything as the other two boys would overtake him.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that." TJ's voice was mocking, amused, and angry all at the same time. Kevin and his boys turned around in slow motion, faces filled with horror and paranoia. Cyrus slid to the ground, leaning against the lockers holding his face. TJ grabbed the black-haired bully by his shirt and pulled him forcefully up to his face. "I thought I made this clear before, but I guess not. Leave. Him. Alone." They nodded and quickly grabbed their bags, running - quite literally - away.

TJ finally focused his attention on the boy curled up in a ball, scared and... crying?

"He-he-hey!" He spoke softly as he sat next to him, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Cyrus. "Does it hurt?" When the only response he got was a muffled sob, he unwrapped an arm and lifted the other boy's chin up gently, allowing him to gaze into the watery, big, chocolate eyes barely three inches from his own. He felt a strange feeling in his chest as Cyrus breathed - slower and calmer now - on his face, but ignored it to focus on the problem at hand. "Cyrus? Where does it hurt?" His voice was even softer and quieter now, if that was possible.

Rather than speaking, the boy uncoiled a hand and pointed to his heart. TJ immediately pulled him back into a hug, squeezing him comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry, I really thought they'd leave you alone."

"I-it's not y-your problem, T-TJ. You d-don't have to b-be sorry." Neither boys turned away from the emotion-filled stare.

"I want it to be." TJ didn't even bother to keep his thoughts in check, although from the surprised yet immensely appreciative face Cyrus made he was glad he said it. After a few more moments of gazing into each other's eyes, the athlete realized Cyrus had finally stopped crying. "Want to go get milkshakes, or something? Teach me how to dance?" Cyrus was grateful TJ didn't pry as to why he felt bad as indicated when he had pointed to his heart earlier. TJ stood and offered the other boy a hand - which he may or may have continued to hold until they exited the empty school.

 

~

 

"There's no way I'm going to learn this by tonight! I'm terrible." TJ flopped backwards onto Cyrus' bed, the latter soon following suit.

"You can! And you're doing way better than you think. Why don't we try something easier to build your confidence?" The brown-haired boy got up changed the radio station to a slower, less swing-y song. It happened to be both boy's favorite songs. "How about this?"

"I love this song." As TJ stood up and came behind him, Cyrus looked up from his radio and beamed at the athlete, sending his heart fluttering.

"Me too!" In a wisp of confidence, TJ playfully grabbed the other boy's hands and pulled him along with his own quick-paced movements, both laughing breathlessly. In the messy movement of it all, they managed to trip goofily over each other's feet, causing them to tumble to the floor. Cyrus had his hands on TJ's waist giggling, and TJ had his hands on each side of the brown-haired boy's head, his own in the boy's shoulder laughing hysterically.

Once the laughter calmed between them, TJ lifted his head to meet Cyrus' big, chocolate eyes staring at him, a small blush sprinkling the bridge of his nose. TJ eventually cleared his throat, in attempt to change the speechless subject hanging in the air, and stood up and away from Cyrus. He diverted his attention to the radio, pointedly ignoring Cyrus standing up, straightening his shirt, and coming to stand beside the athlete.

"My grandfather gave that to me." The uncomfortable silence broke as the slightly shorter boy looked up at TJ, who flashed him a excited look and began feeling the radio out. He took special notice of small rust patches and the mild dents on the machine, Cyrus noted as a fond smile tugged at his lips.

"You ready to make the scene?" TJ set the device down carefully and nodded hesitently. They had stopped by the blonde's house briefly, to grab a suit for himself, before coming to practice, but he was still worried he'd make a fool of himself somehow. "We're going to do like crazy, Teej. Cool it."

 

~

 

"Cyrus! What's he doing here?" Were the first words the Jewish boy heard as soon as the boys walked into The Spoon, Buffy not bothering to lower her suspicion-filled voice consider the fact that TJ was standing right there and could hear her.

"We're entering the dance competition!" Andi's confused smile faltered slightly with that.

"But we always do it together, Cy." TJ gave the other boy a subtle hand nudge to comfort him as he noticed his face fall.

"Oh." He glanced at the athletic boy and then smiled apologetically at his friends. "I know, Andi. But I helped him dance and promised to do it with him. Besides, TJ's never done it and we do it every month." His voice wavered during his explanation, obviously nervous for his best friends' reactions.

"Fine." Buffy and Andi agreed after a moment, only for the curly-haired girl to add. "But you owe us milkshakes for all of next week."

"Thanks, you two are dolls!" Beaming, Cyrus grabbed his new friend's hand and pulled him over to the competition sign-up stand at the back of the diner, completely missing the surprised yet knowing looks on the girls' faces.

As the dance contest began, the boys practiced over in their heads what moves they were going to make during their turn. Their excited and apprehended attitudes were unnecessary, though, they found out as they moved in perfect sync - scoring them third place with the judges.


	4. Chapter 4

TJ feels himself grin as he passed Cyrus in the halls, with a beaming smile returned to him. His heart fluttered, and he thought back to the night before, when the boys won third place in the dance contest. He hadn't had that much genuine fun... Ever. He smiled absentmindedly as he opened his locker just down the hall, pulling his textbooks out, when a hand shoves his shoulder forcibly. The action makes him turn around to face the person and stumble back into the locker beside his own.

"Hey!" He furrowed his eyebrows, giving his usual intimidating expression to the familiar group of boys. Aside from Kevin and his two, the football team were some of the scariest gangs in the school. TJ was at the top of that food chain, the rest all obeying him in ridiculous yet not unrealistic fear. He started searching for anything that had changed in the past week or so to make him lose his 'status'. "You aching for a breaking, baby?" He pushed himself forward and off the blue lockers, staring steadily in the blonde kid's eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch, but rather smirked, and matched TJ's gaze.

"As if you could. You're on the hook."

"How's that?"

"You're real gone with that nosebleed, the queer nerd," TJ's eyes widened. He couldn't mean... "Goodman." He gritted his teeth and balled his fists.

"That's close, shuckster."

"It's the word from the bird, baby. Don't deny it. He's a real vacant odd ball. Yuck." Before TJ understood what he was doing, he landed a punch in the guy's stomach, which was immediately responded with one in his face by another boy, since the blonde sank to the ground. TJ winced and covered the side of his face with a hand, the throbbing pain and bleeding too much to handle. His vision blurred and he backed into the lockers, coiling in on himself. He heard screeching shoes and yelling, but was too focused on the sharp pain in his jaw and eye to care. He then felt a hand touch his shoulder delicately.

"TJ," The familiar voice was feather-light and a whisper, soft and gentle in a way the athlete never heard before, the breath on his ear and neck making him shiver slightly. "It's okay. Come on, let's split." And then the boy's arm was lifted up and placed around someone's shoulders, and they slowly guided him away from the commotion.

~

"Hey, you're awake." TJ blinked a few more times, vision still extremely clouded, his heart fluttering at the still unnaturally soft and gentle voice. He slowly sat up, and whimpered as his head throbbed from the movement. A warm hand laid on his chest and pushed him carefully back into a laying position. He blinked again, his eyes finally clearing enough to see the brown-haired boy hovering over him with a concerned face, but his eyes were filled with tenderness and kindness. "It's okay, take it slow."

"W-where am I?"

"My house. My parents are at work still for a few hours, and I let the principle know why you'd be missing classes."

"Oh. T-thank you, Cyrus." The other boy placed a soothing hand on his face, the side opposite to the injury, and smiled. TJ's heart pounded, but at the same time he never felt so relaxed by someone's presence.

Once the athlete was finally able to sit up without agonizing pain, Cyrus had led him into his bathroom and instructed him to sit on the counter. TJ watched fondly as the chocolate-eyed boy searched for a cloth and a liquid medicine under the sink. Eventually he found it, dabbing it on the cloth before coming to stand directly in front of TJ, in between his legs, and an arm on the counter beside the athlete.

"Hold still, it might sting a little." Cyrus' voice was still incredibly delicate and a low whisper. 

He leaned forward slightly, studying the boy's face as he carefully wiped the bruised and bloodied eye and cheek with the cloth. TJ's heart fluttered more than ever as he watched him, a small smile tugging at his lips. He counted his barely visible freckles, his cheeks tinted pink, before focusing on the warm, chocolate eyes that were already gazing at his own. The boys stared at each other, imprinting the specific designs and varying color hues of their eyes to memory, for what seemed like hours. Eventually, though, Cyrus flickered his back to the blonde's soon-to-be shiner before dropping his hand. He stepped back silently, placing the cloth absently on the edge of the sink.

"Okay, I'm going to put a bandage on the cut." After he did so, his fingers had lingered slightly too long on TJ's face, he smiled and started to back up once again. Without thinking, the athlete grabbed his friend's hand, halting his attempt to exit. The brown-haired boy glanced down at their hands, blush dusting his nose and cheeks, before meeting TJ's gaze.

"Um..." He fumbled for words, as he didn't actually know what he was doing. "Can we work on our homework together?" His voice lacked it's usual nonchalance and confidence and was replaced by nervousness with a twinge of hope. Cyrus' grin lit up the whole room as he nodded. Without letting the blonde's hand go, he pulled him off the counter and led him upstairs into his room. He picked up his backpack with his free hand, throwing it on the bed. He shot TJ a happy glance before dropping his hand and jumping on the bed. He patted a spot next to him once he settled, and the other boy didn't hesitant to sit beside him.

~

"Ugh, why does this have to be so complicated?" The athlete groaned, flopping to lay back on Cyrus' bed, causing the latter to giggle fondly.

"Come on, I know the math is hard. I'm trying to help you, though. You'll get it." He spoke softly, but his voice sounded more normal now than it had before. TJ mumbled into his hands and sat back up. He dragged his hand through his usually-gelled-but-currently-fluffy hair, and Cyrus reached a hand up to grab it, intertwining their fingers casually, and laying their hands between them. The boy offered a comforting and reassuring smile. "You can do it, Teej. I'm here to help." The blonde nodded, cheeks pink, and proceeded to work on the math questions.

After a while, they managed to complete all of TJ's homework and were halfway through Cyrus'.

"Hey, TJ?"

"Hmm?"

"How come you got pounded?" TJ's hand froze where he had be doodling in a notebook while the other worked silently. He cleared his throat and went back to drawing, feigning nonchalance.

"They were putting you down." The chocolate-eyed boy shot his head up, staring at TJ, shocked. The latter eventually looked up, face expressionless. "Take a picture, Cy." The other blinked, shaking himself out his thoughts.

"Sorry, I just... Wait, does that mean you hit him first?" The blonde clenched his jaw and looked down at his shirt, picking at the hem. He nodded. "Teej! You shouldn't be getting yourself hurt because of me!" The boy looked up at him.

"No, you should have heard what he said about you. Called you a queer nerd, a vacant odd ball." Cyrus swallowed nervously, looking anywhere but at TJ. "Cy...? You okay?"

"I'm bored, we should do something exciting and different one of these days." The athlete raised an eyebrow at his obvious attempt to change the subject, but rolled with it anyway.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something different." TJ smirked as he got an idea.

"Different, huh? I can handle that."


	5. Chapter 5

When Cyrus woke up with a loud tapping on his window, he regretted telling TJ he wanted to do something 'different'. He quickly scrambled out of bed, slipping his slippers on, before rushing over and opening the window. He didn't even have to wonder who it was.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, pulling the blonde inside. Which only ended up in the loss of balance for TJ as he stumbled to the floor. "Oh! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." He stood back up, brushing himself off, before locking eyes with Cyrus. "Uh, you ready?" The other boy raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.

"For...?"

"Something. Now, come on. Do you trust me?" He reluctantly nodded, and could just barely make out TJ grinning in the dark. The athlete grabbed his hand and held it before climbing out of the window, pulling Cyrus with him.

"Teej! This is dangerous!" The blonde's heart fluttered at the nickname again as the boy he considered his best friend whined.

"It's okay, I've got you." At this point, the boy was on he ground, his arms extended in case Cyrus took a wrong step. And, to no surprise, he did. His impact caused both of them to fall to the ground, with the chocolate-eyed boy laying on top of TJ. They stared in each other eyes for a moment, blushing, and with Cyrus smiling softly.

"I know you do." They eventually scrambled up off the grass, hands still interlocked, and made their way to the surprise destination.

~

"Yeah, you're right. Coming to a drive-in movie theater at midnight is different." Cyrus stated in slight awe, noticing the motion picture starting, as they exited the car TJ borrowed from his brother [illegally, the boy didn't fail to mention the whole time they drove]. He watched the blonde hop onto the hood of the Cadillac effortlessly, soon doing the same.

"What is it we're actually seeing?"

"I have no idea, honestly."

"Wow, Teej." He chuckled lightly, despite the aching in his chest at his next words. "When you get a girlfriend, make sure you actually know what you're doing on your dates." The athlete's stomach dropped. Girlfriend, right. That's who he should want to go out to movies and ice-skating rinks with, not Cyrus. Not a boy. So why didn't he?

He thought back to all the guys would talk about their crushes and dates with their knock-out girlfriends. How they would feel about them. He never saw girls the way they did, though. Did he just not like anyone that way? Then it hit him. He did feel that way; he remembered his subtle thoughts about how attractive a boy was or a light fluttering if a handsome kid smiled at him. And then there was Cyrus. Oh, was he adorable! Now TJ understood why his thoughts reminded him of that fact all the time. He made him feel happy, important, safe. He felt a peace with him that he'd seen with older married couples in town, looking a each other lovingly. The stories he'd heard of people sacrificing their own joy so the person they loved could be happy. Wanting to defend and protect them from the world because they couldn't bear to see them hurt. 

Does he love Cyrus? Yes, yes he does.

"I, um," He swallowed as he resisted the cowardly and distrustful urge to not say anything at all. "I don't think I'm going to get one." Immediately, the brown-haired boy whipped his head to look at him with wide eyes.

"Why not?" Cyrus hoped it meant TJ liked boys, since that would make it easier for his unrequited feelings to have some hope. But that was a long shot.

"I, uh, I don't like girls. That way." He was visibly anxious, and the small part of Cyrus still paying attention to the movie disappeared. He placed a hand on TJ's shoulder to try to comfort him.

"That's okay, Teej. I don't either." Their eyes met, and the chocolate-eyed boy gave him a small smile.

"No, you don't... I like boys." Cyrus' eyes widened dramatically, and he felt the sudden urge to knot his hands in TJ's shirt to pull him forward and kiss him. So, he did. The motion picture's background noise blurred almost completely out of existence as their lips met, a perfect feeling neither wanted to ever end. Eventually, though, it did.

"So do I." Cyrus rested his head on TJ's chest, wrapping his arms around him as they finally watched the movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, the next should be longer

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the chapter being so short; they'll be longer in the future. I just wanted to set up the premise first.


End file.
